Double Wicket World Championship Semi-finals preview

The Double Wicket World Cup in St. Lucia comes to a climax tomorrow at the Beausejour cricket ground. The two semi-finals will take place over 10 overs, with the winners progressing to the final, which starts at 2:45 local time.

10:15: West Indies v Sri Lanka
Carl Hooper and Chris Gayle will start as favourites in the first semi-final. West Indies supporters had only the briefest glimpse of their heroes today due to Pakistan forfeiting their match, so spectators should arrive early to make the most of Hooper and Gayle. The West Indies have not yet lost a wicket in the Championship, and if they continue their safety first approach, they should progress to the finals.

Sri Lanka have done well to reach the finals following victories over Australia and South Africa. Aravinda de Silva has played the lead role in these wins, making important contributions with the ball (3-26 and 2-26 against South Africa). His batting is also well suited to the Double Wicket format, and he looks in excellent touch.

Key man: Aravinda de Silva

12:30: Pakistan v New Zealand
The outcome of this final rests on the man of the tournament so far, Shahid Afridi. Injured on Saturday afternoon as he attempted yet another big shot, Afridi has been clearly the man of the Championship so far. His clean striking of the ball, combined with his more-than-useful leg spin, have made him an overnight star in St. Lucia. His team-mate Wasim Akram has also proved consistent throughout, and it will be his incisive bowling that is the more capable of reducing New Zealand's total.

New Zealand have perhaps been the surprise package of the tournament to date, with both players making telling contributions. Vettori was the star against Sri Lanka (3-28 and 42) while in Saturday's games, Jacob Oram (48 and 33) hit straight and powerfully. The New Zealand pair looks well-suited to the single wicket format, and look as capable as anyone of beating the favourites.

Key man: Shahid Afridi